The present invention relates to vehicle accelerating systems and more particularly to an improved launching device for lightweight aircraft.
Launching systems for lightweight aircraft require the guided acceleration of the aircraft from rest over a relatively short distance and generally involve moving the aircraft along a track at a high rate of speed in accordance with the forward translation of a powered piston member. These systems employ numerous types of carriages guided along the track and coupled to the piston member by various means to accelerate the aircraft to launch speed. After launching the aircraft, these systems arrest their unlaunched moving parts, including the carriage and piston member, by a variety of energy-absorbing means independent of its launching mechanism.
Problems have arisen in the use of these launching systems both in the initial launching stage and in the subsequent braking phase. In the launching stage, despite their guided engagement to the track, the carriages tend to jam along the track during the launch stroke preventing smooth uninterrupted acceleration. In the braking phase of operation, effective arrestment of the carriage, piston member, and other unlaunched moving parts has not been satisfactorily attained without the incorporation of completely independent braking devices which complicate the operation of the systems and add parasitic inertia launch loads.
Existing launching systems have not adequately resolved these problems associated with guide acceleration in the launch stroke and simple yet reliable kinetic energy absorption in the braking phase of operation. Although numerous launchers have been developed and have generally been satisfactory in performance, they have not been particularly adequate in preventing jam-free travel of the moving carriage during the launch stroke and in effectively arresting the unlaunched moving parts without a completely separate brake system. Furthermore, existing launchers have been relatively complicated, heavy, and expensive to manufacture.